Vending and display device



Nov. 17, 1931.

R. B. ESTES VENDING AND DISPLAY DEVICE driginal Filed July 11, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l jZu/ad Z Ewfea Attorney M ii... w 0 Q 0 0 NOV. 17, 1931. R a ESTES 1,832,538

VENDING AND DISPLAY DEVICE Original Filed July 11. 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor Era/w 32am Attorney Patented Nov. 17, 1931 PATENT OFFICE RUFUS B. ESTES, 0F KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE V VENDING AND DISPLAY DEVICE Application filed Julyli, 1S2 9, Seria1 No. 377,457. Renewed September 11,1931.

This invention relates to v combination vending and displaying devices, and bases its primary object the provision of a device of this nature intendedto be used for vending and displaying such products such as candy bars, or othersma-ll package goods such as cigarettes, chewing gum, etc., while at the same time displaying the package in an attractive manner so as to induce increased purchases.

A very important object of this invention is to provide a device of. the character before mentioned, characterized by simplicity in I construction, compactness in the arrangement of the separate elements comprising the unit, and at the same time capable of displaying in an attractive, manner a large assortment of goods in a minimum amount of space, afford better sanitation in the handling of the goods being vended, is strong, durable, attractive, and otherwise well adapted for the purpose designed. I y j The invention consists essentially in an article carrying shelf located within a suitable dustproof enclosure, the closure being provided with a single opening and the shelf shiftably arranged within the enclosure for selectively disposing in the opening of the enclosure a package to be withdrawn by the prospective purchaser.

A device embodying my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and

the operation and advantages of the device is clearly setforth in the accompanying specification, it being understood of coursethat the present embodiment is merely by way of example, and that the invention is suscep-. tible to various changes in design to sult partaken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein: p

F igure- 1 1s a front elevational Vl6W;0f a device constituting my inventlon.

Figure 2is a verticaltransverse sectional view taken through the enclosure, and showing in elevation a shelf constituting a salient part of this invention, the shelf being shown in an expanded position.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view partly in section and partly in elevation showing the shelf in a retracted or compressed position.

Figure 4 is a detail sectional view taken substantially on line 41 of Figure 2.

Figure 5v is a detail sectional view taken substantially on line 5-5 of Figure 2.

Figureti is a detail view of one of the carrying rollers.

Figure 7 is adetail View partly in section and partly in elevation of the shelf and operating means therefor.

Figure 8 is an elevational view of one form of shelf.

Figure 9 is a longitudinal transverse sectional view taken through the standard and showing in elevation a cooling or refrigerant unit incorporated therein.

FigurelO is a fragmentary detail view of a lower portion of my device showing the shelf in a retracted position and a package comp artment of the shelf in registry with the opening in the enclosure.

Figure ll is aside elevation partly in section of a modified form of the device.

axles 12 journaled within the bearings. As

shown the rollers 11 are radially dlsposed exteriorly of the standard. In this connection it is also to be noted that at the lower end of the standard the rollers'will be disposed closer together than at the upper portion of the standard. The purpose of that will become apparent as a description proceeds. A helical shelf designated generally by the reference character 13 is convoluted about the standard 9, one end of the shelf being anchored to the standard at the bottom end of the standard as clearly sug ested in the drawings. The shelf 13 embo ies a web or body portion 14, to the lower edge of which is secured thereto as at 15 an angular member 16, one flange of which extends laterally from the web constituting the rest portion of the shelf. At its upper edge a substantially channel shaped member 17 has one side wall thereof fixed or otherwise secured to said edge of the web as clearly suggested in Figure 7. A toothed wheel 18 has its axle 19 journaled in a. bearing 20 in the wall of the standard 9 adjacent the lower end of the standard. The wheel 18 has the teat 21 thereof engageable with openings 22 formed in the crown portion of the channel member 17. It may be well here to mention that the shelf 13 convoluted about the standard 9 has the inner face thereof adapted for rest upon the rollers 11, the rollers supporting the shelf and also acting as a guide means for the longitudinal movement of the convolutes of the shelf with respect to the standard 9.

Obviously rotation of the wheel 18 will cause a rotation of the spirals about the standards, and the wheels 11 will guide the spirals during its course of rotation longitudinally of the shaft, for expanding or retracting the spirals or convolutes of the shelf dependent of course upon the direction of rotation of the wheel 18. The axle shaft 20 of the wheel 18 is provided on its opposite end with a beveled gear 22 located within the hollow tubular standard 9, said gear 22 being in mesh with a beveled gear 23 splined on one end of a rotatable shaft 24-. which is supported vertically within the tubular standard through the medium of transversely extending bearing brackets 25. On the opposite or lower end of the shaft 24 is second beveled gear 26 in mesh with a beveled gear 27 on the inner end of an operating shaft 28 journaled in a bearing 29 located in the wall of the standard at the bottom end of the standard. As shown in Figure 10, the last mentioned shaft 28 extends through the flange 6 of the base 5 and at its opposite end is operatively connected to one end of a hand lever 30. Thus it will be seen that by rocking the hand lever 30 rotary or partial rotary movement is imparted to the shaft 28 in the direction of course according to the direction of movement of the lever 30. This actuation of the shaft 28 will of course through the medium of the shaft and gearing just described impart rotary movement of the wheel 18 which of course in turn will impart a rotary movement with the convolutes of the helical shelf 13, for moving the convolutes of the shelf longitudinally of the standard either to an expanded or retracted position.

As shown to advantage in Figures 8 and 10, the web portion 14 of the helical shelf is provided with circumferentially spaced transversely extending slots 31. Partition members 32 are suitably supported in the slots 31 to extend laterally from the web, and provide article receiving spaces 33 therebetween. Suitable leveling devices 3t disposed in circumferentially spaced relation upon the forming base 16 of the shelf, and are arranged in staggered relation with respect to the slot 31, there being approximately one of these leveling devices 3 1 to each of the article receiving spaces or pockets 33. hus it will be seen that when the wheel 18 is turned in one direction for moving the convolutes of the shelf 13 downwardly about the standard to a compressed or telescoped position as shown in Figures 10 and 11, the spaces 33 will be successively brought into registration with a suitable entrance opening 35 formed in a cylindrical cover member 36, the cover member 36 is preferably formed of a transparent material so that one may readily view the article supported upon the shelf. C

As shown, this cover 36 is provided with a substantially frusto-conical top 37, the cover being opened at its bottom end, and the lower edge of the cover adapted for rest upon the upper edge of the offset portion 7 of the annular flange 6 carried by the base 5. The opening 35 formed in the cover is preferably located adjacent its opened lower end so that those articles carried by the lowermost convolutes of the shelf may be withdrawn there I! through first, and the remaining or uppermost convolutes of the shelf being successively brought to a position opposite to the opening 35, the compartment carried by the respective convolutes being likewise successively brought into registry with the said opening.

Spaced shield members 37 extend laterally and inwardly from the wall of the closure 36, these members 37 being disposed one to each of the vertical sides of the opening 35. As shown, the forward edges of the shield members 37 are inclined downwardly and inwardly as at 38 and terminate in spaced relation with respect to the longitudinal outer edges of the partition members 32. The members 37 will have a suitable member secured thereto at the inclined edges thereof, the last mentioned member may of course be formed integral with the side members 37 so as to be disposed opposite that portion of the shelf enclosed by a pair of partitions 32. The guard member just described may be adjustably mounted on the closure so as to be moved upwardly for exposing the opening to permit one to reach his hand within the opening for drawing a package from the space opposite the opening when purchasing the same. After which the shield will of course be lowered over the opening 35 and age or. article from the shelf, 9

thus prevent unauthorizedremoval of a pack- As' shown in Figure 11 on its outer ery, the standard 9 may have forme there on a spiral groove38. This groove 38 is adapted to act as a guidev for a cable winding about the standard and located within the groove. This construction may or not beused, and for this reason I have not shown 'ment longitudinally of the standard. maintaining this supporting rod concentrically within the standard I provide spacer the cable which would be wound within this groove, but' it is to be stated that one end of this cable would be secured to the free end of the helical shelf, and at the upper end of the standard the cable would wound about a suitable pulley, so that by actuation of the cable the convolutes of the shelf would be rotated about the standard to move upwardly and longitudinally of the standard for expanding the shelf, to assume that position about the standard as shown in Figure 2 so that the goods or articles to be vended may be placed within the article receiving spaces on the shelf to replenish the supply.

' Asshown in Figure 9 I may also form in the wall of the standard obliquely disposed air ducts 39. The ducts 39 being open at their opposite ends-and communicating at one end with the interior of the standard and at the opposite end with the atmosphere. Accordingly, there may be located within the standard an elongated rod or support 40 for molyearms 41 for said standards; As shown, these arms extend laterally from certain portions of the standards 40, and their opposite ends are disposed against the inner peripheral face of the standard. Carried on the supporting member 40 are suitable refrigerating units 42-42, so that cold air may be conducted through the ducts 39, thus maintaining in a freshened state such articles as may bedisposed upon theshelf, such as candy bars,

- chewing gum and other eatables which must reception of a stop pin, against whichthe lever may abut when moved in a direction as indicated by the arrow to stop the lever at any desiredpoint.

The operation of the device maybe. stated briefly as follows: A suitable coin controlled mechanism of any conventional make such as now on the market may be suitably associatedwith my device for controlling the lever eriph- 30L" Thus, upon insertion of a coin in the "usual manner for unlocking the lever 30 the same is moved in the direction indicated by the arrow with the result-that the wheel 18 is-rotated-in a suitable direction so that the teeth formedthereon engaging with the opening formed in the channel member 17 will impart a rotary movement of the flexible helical shelf 13 with the result that one of the spaces holding the articles to be vended is brought in registry with the opening 35,

the guard or shield 37 has been moved upwardly'to any suitable mechanism, and the purcha'sermay then extend his hand inward ly of the opening for drawing the desired article from the shelf; Obviously, each operation or pressure exerted on the lever 30 'for'moving the same in a direction of the arrow Wlll of course cause a rotary moVement of the shelf about the standard for successively bringing the article receiving spaces 33 into registry with the opening 35, and atthe same time the convolutes of the shelf are moving spirally downwardlyguided by the rollers or'wheels 11, with the result that all the spaces on the lower convolutes become exhausted, the uppermost adjacent convolute is now brought into position opposite the openings 35, and as is apparent telescope about the adjacent lower convolute which has just becomeempty. Such operation is of course continued until the uppermost convolute has been brought into position opposite the opening 35 and all the conas shownin Figures 10 and 1 1. After the last article receiving space has become empty through the medium of a cable connection volutes have been telescopically compressed just'described the convolutes are then r'o ard and move upwardly in a spiral like mannor of the shaft, so that the shelf may as- 'sume' an extended position, so that the spaces carried by the respective convolutes of the, shelf may be replenished with articles desired to be vended.

It is believed that. a clear understanding of the arrangement, construction and oper-' ation of the device will be perfectly clear to those skilled in this art upon a study of the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, a more detailed description thereof, consequently being deemed unnecessary. 4 Even though I have herein shown and described the preferred embodiment of my invention it is to beunderstood that the same is susceptible of changes fully comprehended by the spirit of the invention as herein described, and thescope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invent-ion, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1; In a vending and displaying device of the class described, a base, a hollow tubular tated in an opposite direction about the standstandard rising from said base, rollers having axles extending radially from the center of said standard and spaced around said standard in a helical line, said rollers being supported in bearings on the wall of said standards, a helically formed flexible shelf surrounding said standard and adapted for support on the said rollers for rotation about said standard, means for rotating said shelf about said standard for imparting longitudinal movement of the convolutes of the shelf with respect to the standard, for expanding or compressing the coil of the shelf about said standard, a cover for said shelf closed at one end and opened at its opposite end and having its lower end adapted for rest on said base, said covering being provided with an opening formed on the peripheral wall thereof adjacent the said open end of the cover.

2. A vending device of the character described comprising a base, a standard rising from the base, a unitary continuous flexible, axially collapsible helically shaped shelf convoluted about said standard, supporting means for the shelf carried by said standard, and means for expanding and collapsing said shelf.

3. In a vending and display device of the character described, a standard, a one-piece shelf comprising a relatively thin, flexible, metallic ribbon helically disposed about said standard and collapsible downwardly with respect to said standard, supporting rollers rotatably mounted on said standard and engageable with said shelf, and means for expanding and contracting said shelf.

4. In a vending and display device of the character described, a base, a casing mounted on said base, a standard rising from said base internally of said casing, and a unitary, continuous, flexible downwardly collapsible helically shaped shelf convoluted about said standard, and means for expanding and contracting said shelf.

5. In a device of the character described, a shell like base, a transparent casing mounted on said base, a unitary, continuous, flexible downwardly collapsible helically shaped shelf arranged in said casing, supporting means for the shelf, and means for collapsing the shelf downwardly into said base.

6. A device of the character described, comprising a unitary, continuous flexible downwardly collapsible helically shaped shelf,

supporting means for said shelf, means for expanding and contractlng said shelf, and

lateral relatively spaced partitions mounted on said shelf and providing therebetween article accommodatingpockets.

7. In a device of the character described, a unitary, continuous, flexible axially collapsible helically shaped shelf, supporting means for the shelf, means for contracting and expanding said shelf, relatively spaced laterally projecting partitions mounted on said shelf,

ing therebetween article accommodating compartments adapted to be successively brought into registry with the opening in said casin 8. In a deviceof the character described, a tubular standard, a unitary, continuous, flexible axially collapsible helically shaped shelf oonvolutedabout said standard, said standard provided with radial air ducts, and a refrigerating unit located interiorly of said standard.

9. In a device of the character described, a casing, a standard arranged within said casing, a unitary, continuous flexible downwardly collapsible helically shaped shelf convoluted about said standard, supports for the shelf mounted on said standard, means for expanding and contracting said shelf, rela tively spaced laterally projecting partitions mounted on said shelf and providing therebetween article accommodating compartments, said casing adjacent the lower end thereof provided with an opening, with which said compartments are adapted to successively register, and a guard member disposed about the opening in said casing and cooperating with said partitions to prevent unauthorized removal of the articles from said shelf.

10. In a device of the nature indicated, a base, a column attached to the said base centrally thereon and extending vertically upwards therefrom, supporting rollers held on the wall of the said column, a helically formed inclined shelf surrounding the said column and supported on the said rollers, means for rotating the said shelf around the said column while at the same time the said shelf is raised or lowered relative to the said column, means for causing the said helical shelf to close upon itself in a smaller space in the said base, a cylindrical cover for the helical shelf having an opening through which packages may be withdrawn from the said shelf when said packages are moved adjacent the said opening by rotation of the said shelf.

11. In a device of the nature described, a base in the form of a hollow body having its lower end closed and its upper end open and having an offset formed around the upper rim to form a seat for a cover, a column having its lower end attached centrally to the closed end of the said base and extending vertically upwards, rollers having their axles extending radially from the center of the said column and spaced around the said column in a helical line, said rollers being supported in bearings in the wall of the said column, a helically formed shelf surrounding the said column and being supported on the said rollers so that it is free to rotate around the said column from an uppermost position to a lowermost position within the base or from a lowermost position to an uppermost position, said shelf being flexible and capable of having its coils brought close together for storage in a small space or separated to permit the storage of packages between the said coils, means for rotating the said shelf around the said column, a cover for the said shelf having its upper end closed and its lower end open, said cover fitting onto and attached to the seat on the flange of the said base and having an opening in-its side through which a package may be taken from the said shelf when said package is moved adjacent the said opening in the said cover, substantially as described.

12. A device of the class described comprising an upright column having a spiral row of outwardly extendin shafts thereon, a roller on the outer end of each shaft, a helical shelf formed of flexible material and having a channel-shaped part at its inner edge for seating on the rollers whereby the shelf is rotatably supported by the rollers, movement of the rollers and the flexibility of the shell permitting the shelf convolutions to move toward each other 'at the lower end of the column.

13. A device of the class described comprising an upright column having a spiral row of outwardly extending shafts thereon, a roller on the outer end of each shaft, a helical shelf formed a flexible material and having a channel-shaped part at its inner edge for seating on the rollers whereby the shelf is rotatably supported by the rollers, movement of the rollers and the flexibility of the shell permitting the shelf convolutions to move-toward each other at the lower end of the column, the rollers and their shafts being 7 placed close together at the lower end of the column to cause this movement of the convolutions of shelf at the lower end of the column.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

RUFUS B. ESTES. 

